St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1887-06-10
THE CONFEDERATE DEAD.
Their Memory Honored by I'm
ion General.

Their Memory Honored by In
ion General.
STAUNToN, Va, June 9.-The larg-
est crowd ever seen in Staunton as
sembled to-day to witness the celebra-
ton of the Confederate Memorial asso-
. citation. The chief attraction was the
presence of Gen. w. w. Averill, of
New York, the orator of the occasion.
The column was a mile long, consisting
of military and civil organizations. In
rode Gov. Lee and Gen. Ayerill, and as
they passed they were freely cheered.
After the parade speaking took place in
the opera house, which was crowded to
suffOcatiOn. In introducing Gen. Aver
ill, Gov. Lee referred to their long ac-
quaintance beginning when both were
boys at West Point and to their SubSe-
quent association in the old army.
Their commands had met face to face in
battle during the war that followed, and
he was prepared to testify that no drawer
men commended on either side than the
troops commanded by that gallent Off
Ger, whose warfare is upon men and not
on helpless women and children. In
closing the governor referred to the OBJ
liberation of sectional lines and the re-
union of the people, as shown by the
presence of Federal general joining
with Southern veterans in honoring the
Confederate dead. Gen. Averill was
greeted with ringing applause as he
stepped forward, and fromstime to time
during his speech he was enthusiastic
ally cheered. Among other things Gen.
Averill said: sWhere once OutpOStS
and pickets were set during my
command against brave and per-
SiStent enemy, | now stand welcome
quest. | thank God and you for the
changed conditions. have experienced
every vicisSitude of war, including be-
ing killed, for was half killed twice;
but of all the triumphs | have ever en-
Joyed, this victory of peace to-day is the
grandest and most satisfactorily The
speaker Sketched the campaigns of his
division during the war, touched upon
the results of the war and the valor and
chivalry of the South, and related an
anecdote of President Lincoln at the
time of the latter'S visit to the Army of
the Potomac, opposite FrederickSburgh,
in 1868. In the course of an interview
with the the president, Gen. Averill
showed him note from Gen. FitZhugh
Lee, in regard to the wounded of the
Iatter's command. The speaker con-
tinued as follows: "Then he asked:
Were are and Gen. Lee friends? Ger
tainly,' said ], 'and always had been.'
What would happen he asked, should
you meet on the battlcfield?' 'One
or both of us would be badly
hurt or killed. said, Obliged to be, Mr..
President He leaned that picturesque
and mournful face of his on his hand
and after pause, said with emotion:
'Oh my God, what dreadful thing is a
war like this, where personal friends
must slay each other and die as friends
told him that undoubtedly Lee thought
he was doing his duty, and / knew that
l was doing mine. Yes said Mr.. Lin
coin, Il understand your feelings, but
there are many who would think that
you ought to hate each other. Finally
he said: Gen. Averill, l wish YOU
would give me this letter of Lees
Surely, take it, Mr.. President | re-
piled, and have been told by one of
his biographerS that he carried the note
in his pocket for long time and would
frequently show it," Brief addresses
were made by Gen. L. D. Imboden, Hon.
A. J. Mccall, of New York, and Carlton
Mccarthy, of Richmond. Both Gems.
Gordon, of Georgia, and jackson, of
Tennessee, were expected, but neither
came.